Tag Archives: The Conga Kings

Carlos “Patato” Valdes was the most influential conguero of his era. Furthermore to his unrivaled rhythmic and melodic sensibilities, he also developed the tunable conga, practically reinventing the device along the way. Valdes was created November 4, 1926 in Havana, where his dad played electric guitar with regional group Los …

Broadly acknowledged among the best congueros of his generation, Giovanni Hidalgo was created in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1963, first taking on the drums five years later on; the son from the mentioned percussionist Jose “Manengue” Hidalgo, he was informed in Latin rhythms from child years onward, so when …

In the past due ’90s, three heavyweights of Afro-Cuban conga playing — Candido Camero, Carlos “Patato” Valdes, and Giovanni Hidalgo — came collectively and billed themselves because the Conga Kings. Most of them possess impressive resumés within the Afro-Cuban and jazz areas — specifically Camero and Valdes, both of whom …